While it wasn't a match for the ages, the roar from the Santiago Bernabéu was unmistakable. Having been absent for some time, Jude Bellingham once again stood before the home supporters with his arms outstretched, listening to the crowd's singing of his anthem. Following a lengthy layoff and questions about his role, he netted his opening strike of the season, ultimately delivering a narrow win for Real Madrid over a Italian opponent that put up a fight. “It was a tough battle,” commented the Belgian goalkeeper.
Decisive Stops Ensure the Win
The shot-stopper understood better than anyone, having to save a one-on-one from Dušan Vlahović and make another crucial stop from Khéphren Thuram in the dying moments. The win puts Madrid on a strong tally and the opposition team outside the qualifying spots. At the end of a match with plenty of attempts but little elegance, the Juventus manager may consider a promising opening, with those opportunities representing a missed chance around the closing stages; their current situation though makes for concerning reading.
“An Italian team in difficulty is doubly threatening,” the Madrid coach had remarked in advance.
Juventus, who hadn’t won since September, did cause Madrid issues at the start and again near the end. Madrid dominated the ball, with a significant advantage, but Juventus threatened on the counter, especially with the French defender surging forward and the striker linking up, managing a dozen attempts compared to the hosts' twenty-seven.
Promising Start for Away Side
They had started well, certainly. After just three minutes, they thought they were ahead, the forward somewhat unlucky to be called for holding the Brazilian defender. Shortly after, the Madrid defender had to slide ahead of Vlahović when Kalulu dashed clear on the right flank. Then three minutes after that, Weston McKennie's effort was deflected wide.
What followed, from Federico Gatti's drive, was a more impressive stop. Fifteen minutes had gone. However, quickly the visitors' impetus had dissipated as well. Madrid took control. Largely it was rather mechanical, though, and the three best opportunities fell to Aurélien Tchouaméni, who is not Alonso’s striker of choice. Two were headed over, a third deflected wide; an additional chance with the head was missed by the center-back.
Guler Shines
The best moments came from Arda Güler. Güler, whose play was the closest there was to smooth attacking, was always involved. His clever control and spin saw him clip to the back post for Bellingham.
There was not much sign of Kylian Mbappé yet, but when he finally emerged it was the nearest Madrid came to scoring. First his shot was stopped by Michele Di Gregorio, who would produce several stops. Then some exquisite dribbling saw him turn the full-back repeatedly until he tumbled to the ground and set up Militão to fire over.
Second-Half Drama
The Brazilian threw himself to stop Kalulu at the outset of the second period, and then came the customary Courtois rescue when suddenly Vlahović was through. The “inadvertent pass” had been quite something, with Lloyd Kelly intercepting a ball inside his own penalty box and the sphere bouncing from the instep of his boot directly through the center to beyond the center circle. Sprinting after it, ample room appearing, Vlahović raced his marker, holding him off and heading into the area where Courtois saved.
Then what tends to happen happened, the stop made good by the goal that comes after it. A flash from Vinícius Júnior created it, creating enough space amid multiple defenders to release a low, left-footed shot which struck the upright. Positioned in that striker’s role was the goalscorer. With the deadlock broken, Madrid ought to have sealed the game, the Frenchman stopped by Di Gregorio and Fede Valverde seeing his volley deflected by Gatti. Subsequently Di Gregorio made a superb quick saves from Mbappé and Brahim Díaz.
There were more scares: as the match was slipping away, Raúl Asencio had to make a stunning sliding block as Madrid were opened up and at the risk of Loïs Openda unmarked in the penalty box. Finally in the dying moments the Madrid keeper dived to deny the midfielder, his work done. For the visitors, there was no way back, Bellingham’s first of the season the final of the encounter.
“It’s a great feeling, a long time now since I’ve scored, a period out and thinking of that instant, back in the Champions League and against a major opponent. To get the decisive goal, in our stadium, it’s incredible. I felt comfortable, really good. To perform was crucial and to score the winning goal benefits the team greatly.”
Regarding his performance, he added: “I didn’t think last year was a disaster, still fifteen strikes, 14 assists, but I know the perception was that it was worse. But I was a contributor to that, how we underperformed last year, there were nonetheless good moments but not the standard I aim to play at, not the caliber like the debut season. Now I’ve had my operation, a different coach, he’s got that system, how we want to play…. You have to learn from it.”
